Michele Dunleavy

Michele Dunleavy

  • Professor of Dance, School of Theatre

Michele has choreographed and performed extensively throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, and is the Artistic Director of Dunleavy Dance Projects. She works in a variety of dance forms including tap, jazz, and modern, and her choreography has been presented by arts organizations in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, NYC, Maryland, and West Virginia. Michele has performed internationally with Kompitus Rhythm Collective (Helsinki), and regionally with Take It Away Productions, Pittsburgh Opera, Junction Dance Theatre, Physical Theatre Project, DANA Movement Ensemble, ETCH Dance Co., and B3W.

Notable choreographies include: 5/4 Ever a tribute to the life and music of Dave Brubeck, produced for Rhythmically Speaking in Minneapolis, STEEL VALLEY RHYTHMS a site-specific work inspired by visits to the historic Carrie Blast Furnace in Pittsburgh, and Bond, a commission for jorsTAP, an all-female tap ensemble based in Chicago. Michele's work has been supported through grants from Penn State's College of Arts and Architecture, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, and the Galaxy Arts in Education program. She was recently named an Embedded Researcher at Penn State’s Arts and Design Research Incubator to continue her work on STEEL VALLEY RHYTHMS.

In 2004 Michele joined the musical theatre faculty at Penn State and is currently an Associate Professor of Dance. She has choreographed numerous musicals at Penn State including, A New Brain, Bat Boy: The Musical, Parade, Babes in Arms, The Wiz, Rent, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Good Kids, and American Idiot. Michele has also been an invited guest artist at Shenandoah University where she choreographed Cabaret and The Wild Party.

Michele has been a faculty member at Point Park University, George Mason University, and the Catholic University of America. She is a member of SDC, the International Tap Association, and served two terms as the Northeast Regional Director of the American College Dance Association.